Hopper-bottom car.



(No Model.)

Pate'ntedMa. 26, |901. G. A. HANCUCK.

noppes BOTTOM cAn. (Application mcd Aug. 29, 1900.)

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G. A. HANCOCK. HOFF-EIR BOTTOM CAR.

(Applcatiqn led Aug. 29. 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. HANCOCK,n OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

Ho'PPER-BoT-rolvl CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,586-, dated March 26, 1901.

Application led August 29, 1900. 'cSerial No. 28,397. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HANCOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Springfield, Greene county, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hopper-Bottom Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view of one. end of myimproved hopper-bottom car. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 4 isv an enlarged transverse sectional View of the same, taken on line 4 4, Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged end elevational view of the same. A

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in hopper-bottom cars of that type wherein the load is dumped outside of the rails or to either side of the track, as desired, instead of between the rails, as is usually the case in this class of cars.

The object of my present invention is to construct a car of the character described in such manner that the doors practically extend the entire length of the car,`whereby when one or the other is operated if it is desired to dump the load to one or the other side of the track, or if both ot' said doors are operated, whereby the load is evenly dumped on each side of the track, the exit for the load being practically continuous will enable the load to be quickly and easily discharged.

The car shown in the accompanying drawings is also simple in construction, strong, and cheap, the individual parts which enter into the construction being of such character and nature that in the event of breakage they can be easily and quickly repaired.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims. l

In the drawings, l indicates the center sills, which also form the draft-sills, these sills being preferably continuous throughout the length of the car.

2 indicates the tension member of the bodybolster, and 3 the compression member, said members being most widely separated at their middle portions and being located above and below the center sills, respectively, whereby said center sills act as struts for the bodybolsters.

4 indicates the side sills, preferably arranged in groups at each side of the car, two parallel sills being shown on each side of the car in the drawings, said side sills being preferably continuous throughout the length of the car and located in a different horizontal plane from the center sillsthat is, the side sills are arranged Qn top of the ends of the body-holsters.

5 indicates an end sill for coperating with the ends of the center and side sills, said end sill being of any approved construction.

6 indicates a platform arranged at the ends of the car, preferably on the side sills.

7 indicates what I will designate as end brackets, which are preferably arranged upon the innermost side sills and support the vertical and inclined end walls 8 of the carbody.

9 indicates transversely-disposed cradleframes which extend the entire width of the car and are supported upon the side and center sills, the deep middle portion of said frames forming the end Walls of the opening in the vbottom of the car and also serving to spaceA the side sills.

10 indicates side brackets intermediate the frames 9, Asaid side brackets supporting the vertical and inclined side walls of the carbody.

ll indicates a cover-plate for the center sills, which extends between the frames 9, said cover-plate being secured to said frames and to said center sills and having its side edges bent downwardly, to which edges may be riveted the inclined aprons l2, the ends of said aprons being bent upwardly and secured in part to the lower edges of the frames 9 and in part to a transverse barlS, arranged -in the vertical planes of said frames.

14 indicates hangers depending from theY side sills and having their lower ends secured to the lower edge ot the apron by a transverse pin or lug, whereby the lower edge of the apron is supported atintervals throughoutits length.

15 indicates journal brackets arranged upon the cover-plate for supporting a rod 16, which rod forms the hinge-pintle for the doors.

17 indicates the doors, which are mounted upon rod 16, said doors when closed being inclined corresponding to the side walls with which their closing edges cooperate, said doors forming practically continuations of said side walls. When either door is per,- rnitted to drop, it is preferably arrested in its open position so that its inclination will be coincident with that of its closed companion and opposite side wall, the open door preferably discharging the load onto its receivingapron beyond the point of attachment of said apron to the cover-plate. The lower edges of the inclined side walls of the car are preferably reinforced by a strip or angle 18, arranged therebeneath, which, in addition to abutting against the side supporting-brackets, also forms a rabbeted joint with the free edge of its coperating door. Each door is also provided with a reinforcing-angle 19 along its free or closing edge, preferably abutting against the wings of hinge-eyes 20, to which panels constituting the doors proper are secured. These hinge-eyes are preferably arranged next the journal-brackets on the pintle-rod, and in order to close the Opening around said rod rendered necessary by the thickness of. the hinge-eyes I prefer, instead of bending the panels of the respective doors around the rod at alternate points, to arrange sleeves 2l on said rod between the respective hinge-eyes.

22 indicates housings in the form of hoods secured at convenient points along the lower edges of theinclined sidewalls. These hoods have pulleys 23 arranged therein, over which pass chains or cables 24, the inner ends of said chains or cables being secured to the closing edges of their respective doors. The inclined side walls are provided with openings ior the passage of these chains or cables, and the outer ends of said chains or cables are secured to pulleys 25, mounted upon a longitudinally-disposed rod 2G, preferably journaled in the side supporting-brackets, one end ot' each rod, there being one on each side of the car for each door, carrying a ratchet-wheel 27, with which cooperates a pawl 2S, whereby said rods may be locked against rotation and the doors held in their closed position. rlhe inclined side walls of the car aliord am ple space outside of the carbody for the door-operating mechanism, and the hoods protect the pulleys over which the inner ends of the chains or cables pass against coming in contact with the load.

It will ot' course be obvious that the above operating mechanism for doors permits either door to be opened or closed independently of the other.

In the accompanyingdrawings Ihave shown longitudinal sills in the form of channels; but it is obvious that sills of other cross-section can as well be employed, or, if desired,wooden sills may be used, in which event the number of side sills shown will preferably be increased.

The car-body and aprons are preferably constructed of sheet inet-al, while the end and side supporting-brackets for said body may have their webs of sheet metal with angles riveted thereto to form the securing-flanges for the other parts and also for the purpose or reinforcing the web-plate. It is obvious, however, that these supporting-brackets can be castings, in which event the webs can be considerably lightened by providing suitable openings therein.

The channels constituting the pair of side sills preferably have their flanges presented toward each other, whereby the angles forming the stiifening-fianges for the brackets may be extended and secured to the webs of the channels. It will of course be obvious that instead of riveting angles to the platewebs the plates can be appropriately flanged and theattaching-rivets passed therethrough and through the associate parts to which the flanges are to be secured.

I prefer to construct the car entirely of metal; but I do not wish to be limited in this respect except as such limita-tions may be expressed in the claims.

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departi ng from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hopper-bottom car, the combination with draft-sills and side sills, of transverse frames 9 arranged thereon, and aprons 12 whose ends terminate under said frames; substantially as described.

2. The combination with center sills, of a cover-plate, and aprons 'secured to the edges of said coverplate; substantially as described.

rlhe combination with center and side sills, ol' transversely-arranged frames supporting the car-body, a cover-plate over the center sills, and aprons secured to said coverplate along their inner edges, the ends of said aprons being secured to the transverse frames and to the under sides of the side sills; substantially Vas described.

4. The combination with center and side sills, of inclined aprons secured to the center sills, and separate hangers attached to the side sills at different points and to the lower outer edges of said aprons at different points IOO fst/0,586

lfor supporting the aprons at intermediate points between their ends; substantially as described.

5. The combination with side and center sills, of a cover-plate, an apron secured to said cover-plate, and hangers depending from said side sills for supporting the outer edge of said apron; substantially as described.

6. The combination with longitudinal sills, of a hopper-bottom car-body, transverse cradleafram-es arranged near the ends of' said body, and extending the entire width of the car, intermediate side supports 10 resting upon the longitudinal sills for supporting lthe body, and end supports 7 for said body; substantially as described.

7. The combination with longitudinal sills, of a car-body, and supports resting upon said sills for carrying said body, said supports consisting of plate-metal webs, and reinforcingangles secured to the outer edges of said platemetal webs and extending above and below the same, for attachment to the car-body and to the sills; substantially as described.

8. The combination with the inclined wall,

of a reinforcing angle-strip, and a door whose closing edge is rabbeted to coperate with said inclined wall and said reinforcing-angle;

substantially as described.

9. The combination with inclined side and end plates, of transversely-arranged frames which form the end walls of the hopper-,opening, a pair of doors operating between said frames and having a common pintle, and independent operating mechanism for said doors; substantially as described.

10. The combination with inclined walls, of a pair of oppositelyswinging doors mounted on a common pintle, and sleeves arranged upon said pintle for closing the opening between the doors at their hinge-point; substantially as described.

11. In a hopper-bottom car, thecombination with an inclined floor-plate, of a swing-door whose closing edge cooperates with said plate, a pulley arranged on the inside of the floorplate and above the closing edge of said door, a chain or cable which is connected to the closing edge of the door and which passes over said pulley and through an opening in the door-plate, a drum-pulley arranged outside the floor-plate over which said chain or cable is wound, and means for locking said drum pulley against movement; substantially as described.

12. In a hopper-bottom car, the combination withinclined loor-plates, of oppositely-moving doors cooperating therewith for closing the exit-opening for the load, hoods secured to the floor-plates, pulleys mounted in said hoods, chains or cables passing over said pulleys and connected at their inner ends to the free ends of the doors, drum-pulleys mounted on rods to which' the outer ends of said chains or cables are connected, and ratchet-andpawl mechanisms coperating with said rods; substantially as described.

` 13. In a hopper-bottom car, the combination with the inclined door-plates, of a pair of longitudinally-disposed doorsl for closing the exit-opening for the load, aprons for receiving the load and discharging it outside of the rails on either side of the car, hoods arranged on the Hoor-plates above the closing edges of the doors, Hoor-plates within the hoods being formed with perforations, sheaves in said hoods, chains passing over said hoods' and connecting with the closing edges of the doors, A

and independent mechanisms cooperating with said chains for raising or lowering either of said doors, said chain-operating mechanism being located outside the body portion of the car; substantially as described.

14. In ahopper-bottom car, the combination with the inclined floor-plates, of two independently-movable doors disposed longitudinally for closing the exit for the load, said doors extending nearly-the entire length of the car-body, aprons forreceiving the load and discharging it outside of the rails, depending upon which door is opened, hoods arranged on the inside of the door-plates above the closing edges of the doors for pro-l tecting portions of the door-operating mechanisms from the load, which-door-operating mechanisms pass through openings in the loorfplates, said hoods also preventing the escape of any part of the load' through said openings, a rod arranged on each side of the car and outside of the body portion thereof, connections between said rod and said doors, said connections passing through openings in the floor-plates and being attached to the closing edges of the doors, whereby, upon the operation of a rod, its respective door will be IOO IOS

opened or closed, and means for locking said M GEORGE A. HANCOCK.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SCOTT, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

